Ribbon spool



y 14, 1959 c. CAMPBELL, JR 2,894,620

RIBBON SPOOL 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec. 19, 1956 .INVENTORI. Ernest Ca/vm Campbell Jr.

BY I

A T'TORNE Y6.

E. C. CAMPBELL, JR

July 14, 1959 RIBBON SPOOL 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 19, 1956 INVENTOR. Ernest Ca/w'n C amp/bell Jr.

ATTORNEYS.

United States Patent RIBBON SPOOL Ernest Calvin Campbell, Jr., Grain Valley, Mo., assignor to Hallmark Cards, Incorporated, Kansas City, Mo., a corporation of Missouri Application December 19, 1956, Serial No. 629,280 4 Claims. (Cl. 206-53) This invention relates to a spool for decorative ribbon, string or similar material, and more particularly to a one-piece transparent plastic construction for the purpose of showing the actual amount and color of ribbon on the spool and which may be seen from all angles and whereby the ribbon end will be retained on the spool by a snap-in strip of plastic or other springy material which will fit between the flanges and which will be held against the ribbon by inverted beads on the inner edges of the flanges.

Heretofore, the spools upon which ribbons have been wound, have not disclosed any means for retaining the cut or free end of the ribbon on the spool in a taut condition or preventing the ribbon from slackening and becoming loose and flying when the end is not retained.

The spool to which my invention relates is adapted for containing ribbon having certain adhesive properties when wetted so that it will stick and adhere to itself in use, although it may be used for other types of ribbon.

It is the principal object of this invention to provide a one-piece spool constructed of transparent material for showing amount and color of ribbon from any angle having a circumferential flat or plane surface about which the ribbon is to be wound or spooled and having laterally extending flanges providing a container for the ribbon and wherein the inner edges of the periphery of the flanges are tapered inwardly forming a bead which holds a snap-in strip of plastic or other springy material whose width is slightly greater than the tolerance between the beads on the two flanges against the spooled ribbon, thus securing the free end of the ribbon. In addition to holding the plastic strip against the ribbon, the bead is so designed as to taper downwardly and inwardly from the outer edge of the flange to form a funnel eifect as an aid in winding and holding the ribbon onto the spool. The plastic strip has the additional function of providing space for advertising or other printed matter.

Other objects of the present invention are to provide an auxiliary means for retaining the ribbon on the spool in taut condition after a piece has been cut from the free, end by an application of a semi-circular strip of material having springing qualities which will fit within the container portion of the spool around the ribbon and presses against the ribbon to retain it in place.

Other objects of the present invention are to provide a spring strip of this character upon which advertising indicia may be carried or other identifying matter for the ribbon contained on the spool; and to provide a device of this'character simple and economical to manufacture.

Still further objects of the invention are to provide on the inner circumferential plane surface of the body of the spool laterally spaced staggered lugs having notches therebetween for receiving a circular member and retaining it therein upon which advertising indicia or other matter may be carried.

In accomplishing these and other objects of the invention, I have provided improved details of structure the preferred forms of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of my invention showing the ribbon retaining strip thereon.

Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional View through the device.

Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken on a line 3-3, Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a side view of the spool showing the ribbon through the transparent material.

Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view of a modified form of the invention.

Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional view of a further modified form of the invention.

Fig. 7 is a perspective disassembled view of the modified form of the invention.

Fig. 8 is a perspective view of a modified form of spool particularly illustrating perforated side flanges thereof.

Referring more in detail to the drawings:

1 designates a spool embodying the features of my invention comprising, a circumferential body member 2 having a plane surface 3 on its outer side and a plane surface 4 on its inner side. Extending outwardly from the plane surface 3 are flanges S and 6 providing a container for the ribbon or the like 7. The flanges 5 and 6 are ring shaped and the inner edges of the outer peripheries thereof are provided with inturned beads or flanges 8 and 9 (Fig. 3), forming shoulders facing the body 2.

I preferably construct the spool from a transparent material such as plastic, Lucite or other similar material and it is formed in one piece thus reducing the cost of production and at the same time providing an attractive spool for the ribbon and one by which the ribbon, usually in color, may be viewed from any angle of the spool.

The ribbon 7 is in flat strip form and is wound into the container portion of the spool formed by the flanges 5 and 6. In order to provide for easy application of the ribbon to the spool the heads 8 and 9 are formed by tapering the inner edges of the peripheries of the flanges 5 and 6 inwardly toward each other as indicated at 10 and 11 (Fig. 3) and then oflset outwardly away from each other forming shoulders 12 and 13 against which the ribbon 7 will engage and be retained on the spool.

Heretofore, in use of spools it has been necessary to use Scotch tape or some similar material for fastening the free end 14 of the ribbon to keep it from slackening or flying when a piece has been cut from the end thereof. It is the purpose of the inturned beads or flanges 8 and 9 to prevent the end 14 of the ribbon from flying out from between the flanges and at the same time prevention of flying will cause the ribbon to press against itself and thus prevent slackening as has been the experience with otherspools.

In addition to the beads on the flanges, to insure againstslackening of the ribbon, I have provided an auxiliarygmeanslforpreventing slipping or flying of the ribbon by use of a strip or clip 15 of material made from acetate orother transparent plastic composition, aluminum or the like, having certain springing qualities. The strip or clip ls'lmay be of any desired length but it is shown here tobe of rather short length but suflicient to cover the end 14 of the ribbon 7. The clip 15 is slightly wider, than the opening 16 between the flanges 5 and 6 for the ribbon 7 Sothat the side edges thereof will engage against the side Walls 17 and 18 of the flanges and adhere thereto by friction so as to prevent movement of the strip around the ribbon unless moved by the user. It is sufliciently flexible and small enough to 'be readily movable about the surface of the ribbon. Trade or advertising indicia and number and style of the ribbon or other information may be printed or otherwise applied to the clip 15 as indicated at 19 (Fig. 1).

The flat side 20 of the flanges 5 and 6 may also be utilized to carry trade-names or sales messages and may be either embossed when the spool is molded or printed thereon (not shown) as desired.

I do not wish to be limited to any particular length of clip or snap-in label as a semi-circular clip of plastic or some other resilient material could be substituted and of a length in excess of 180 degrees of the circumference of the ribbon on the spool and of a diameter slight ly less than that of the ribbon which can be applied over the ribbon after it is wound on the spool by springing the free ends (not shown) thereof apart so that it will slide over the ribbon wound on the spool and then the spring action will hold the ribbon in place.

The advantage of making the spool from a transparent material is illustrated in Fig. 4 wherein the ribbon is shown through the transparent material as indicated at 21 and the ribbon usually being in a bright color will show up very plainly through the transparent material.

In Fig. 5 I have illustrated a modified form of spool as indicated at 22 wherein two disc like members 23 and 24 having mating walls or sides 25 and 26 are secured together by an adhesive, heat treating or the like as indicated at 27 forming a cylindrical body member 28 having a plane surface 29 about which the ribbon 7 may be wound the same as in the preferred form of the inven tion. The heads on the outwardly extending flanges are formed the same as in the preferred form of the invention and carry like numbers. In this form of the invention the side faces 30 and 31 of the fiat members 25 and 26 may be utilized for advertising indicia, tradenames, styles, etc.

In Fig. 6 I have illustrated a further modified form of my invention wherein the spool 32 is made of one piece transparent material having a body member 33 provided with a circumferential plane surface 34 and outwardly extending flanges 35 and 36 and the outer periphery thereof being provided with beads or the like and numbered the same as in the preferred form of the invention. The body member 33 is connected by a Web 37 having fiat surfaces 38 and 39 upon which the tradename, style and kind of ribbon may be printed or embossed as in the form of the invention shown in Fig. 5.

In Fig. 7 I have illustrated a modified form of the invention wherein the inner surface 4 of the body member 2 is provided with laterally spaced and staggered lugs 40 and 41 and which lugs are placed at spaced points circumferentially of the body member, leaving a space or recess 42 between the lugs for receiving a flat circular disc member 4-3 for bearing on the side thereof advertising indicia or the like as indicated at 44.

In use the clip 15 may be rotated on the spool so that the end 14 may be free for unwinding by merely moving the clip from over the end 14- of the ribbon and pull ing on the end thereof. When the desired amount is unwound and cut off the clip will hold the end in the place or it may be rotated to cover the free end of the ribbon.

In Fig. 8 I have illustrated a further modified form of the invention wherein the spool is made of opaque or dense material. The spool 45 is otherwise of identical shape and form as the form of invention shown in Figs. 1 to 3, inclusive, and the respective parts are given like numerals. In addition the respective flanges 5 and 6 are provided with a plurality of openings or perforations 46 so that the ribbon 7 may be viewed therethrough to de- 4 termine the color thereof when the spool is viewed from the side.

It will be obvious from the foregoing, I have provided an improved ribbon spool wherein the free end of the ribbon will be retained between the flanges of the spool to prevent slackening and flying of the ribbon and thus obviate the necessity of use of tape or the like to hold the end of the ribbon in place.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is;

l. A ribbon spool of the character described having a substantially flat circular body providing an annular surface around which the ribbon is wound, said body member having spaced radial flanges extending laterally outwardly from the side edges of the plane surface of said body member, said radial flanges being sufi'lciently rigid to extend outwardly from said body in substantially parallel spaced relation at their outer edges, the inner edge of the outer periphery of the flanges having inwardly directed beads forming a restricted area between the radial flanges, said beads forming shoulders facing said body for retaining the free end of the said ribbon confined between said flanges.

2. A ribbon spool of the character described, made from a single piece of transparent material and having a substantially flat circular body providing an annular surface around which the ribbon is Wound, said body member having spaced radial flanges extending laterally outwardly from the side edges of the plane surface of said body member, the inner edge of the outer periphery of the flanges having inwardly tapered surfaces terminating in inwardly directed beads and forming shoulders, and a spring strip member engaging a portion of the surface of the ribbon for retaining the free end of said ribbon confined between said flanges, said spring strip member also providing space for advertising indicia.

3. A ribbon spool of the character described having a substantially flat circular body providing an annular surface around which the ribbon is wound, said body member having spaced radial flanges extending outwardly from the side edges of the plane surface of said body member, a flat substantially semi-circular spring slip engaging at least degrees of the surface of the ribbon, and means on the inner face of the radial flanges for engaging said clip for retaining the free end of said ribbon confined between said flanges.

4. A ribbon spool of the character described having a substantially flat circular body member having flanges extending outwardly from each side thereof providing an annular surface around which the ribbon is wound, said body member having spaced side flanges extending radially outwardly from the side edges of the annular surface of said body member and having a plurality of openings therein for illustrating the ribbon therethrough, the inner edge of the outer periphery of the side flanges having inwardly tapered surfaces terminating in inwardly directed beads and forming shoulders, and a strip member engaging a portion of the surface of the ribbon and underneath said beads for retaining the free end of said ribbon confined between said flanges.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 595,059 Graham Dec. 7, 1897 2,301,920 Sadler Nov. 17, 1942 2,425,100 Kulka Aug. 5, 1947 2,633,983 Miller Apr. 7, 1953 

